Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Snowy Oxford - England

Miguel moved to London last year and he already visited a few places outside London. He has been to Oxford, not on a snowy day like in this card, it was rainning, he said.

www.snowflakebooks.co.uk

A few fun facts about this city:

* Fact #1 - The City of Dreaming Spires

Matthew Arnold dubbed Oxford as the "City of Dreaming Spires" based on the architecture of the world famous University buildings.

* Fact #2 - No Women Allowed

The first colleges of Oxford were built in the 13th century, but it wasn't until 1878 that women were admitted to the university, 1920 when they were awarded degrees, and 1974 when the last of the all-male colleges opened their doors to women.

* Fact #3 - The Legend of Frideswide

Legend has it that Oxford was started by a beautiful and pious young princess named Frideswide. When her dream of becoming a nun was threatened by a king who wanted to marry her, Frideswide ran away to Oxford. The king followed her, but when he reached the town boundaries, he was struck blind. After begging her forgiveness and reluctantly agreeing to give her freedom from marrying him, his sight was amazingly restored. Frideswide went on to set up a nunnery on the site of what is now Christ Church cathedral. The earliest built colleges were set up around the nunnery as learning places for monastic scholars.

* Fact #4 - Hitler and Oxford

Hitler was intending to use Oxford as his capital if he conquered England which is one of the reasons it was not bombed.